Ignore Deepak's claims, Dr M advises Najib

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should not waste his time rebutting allegations thrown at him and his family by controversial businesspersson Deepak Jaikishan.

"Najib doesn't have to respond," former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad told a press conference in Cheras, Kula Lumpur, today.
As the prime minister, Mahathir added, Najib would be accused of everything under the sun, and he went on to recount how he himself had his share of accusations when heading the government.

Pressed further on the serious allegations that Najib's family members accepted cash in return for governmental favours, Mahathir said such accusations should be taken to the proper venue, such as the courts, which could decide the matter.
The carpet trader recently raised serious allegations against the prime minister and his close family members, accusing them of covering-up in the murder case of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu

Deepak made it clear that he only came forward because he had been cheated in a land deal by Selangor Wanita Umno chief Raja Ropiaah Raja Abdullah.

Most recently, Deepak accused Najib of ordering the Lembaga Tabung Amanah Angkatan Tentera-owned Boustead Holdings Bhd to buy him out from his company involved in the said land deal.
In an immediate reaction, Deepak said today that the police had not acted on Raja Ropiaah's alleged criminal breach of trust or the corruption in the Bukit Raja land deal.
"We all know that's never going to happen, but still I will take Tun Mahathir's advice and hope that both truth and justice will prevail under a new Malaysian administration," he said in an SMS message. 

'Exercise wisdom'

Meanwhile, asked about the recent protest by workers of national car maker Proton over the uneven pay rise made to address the minimum wage of its lower paid staff, Mahathir said it was up to the management to do what it thought was best, but he believes wisdom must be exercised.

"The implementation must be done wisely."

The Proton workers yesterday held protests at the car maker's plants in Shah Alam and Tanjung Malim to protest uneven wage increments.

Workers earning RM600 were given a RM300 raise to reach the RM900 minimum wage scale, while those already earning RM900 to RM1,200 are only given increments of between RM30 and RM40.

It would not be possible to raise the wages of all Proton staff, Mahathir said, as it would financially burden the company.

"RM300 out of RM600 is a 50 percent increase. You can't give the same increase to all, from the lowest to the directors. (Proton will go) bankrupt, lah."